Design Student To Cardboard Innovator: Celine Ng Inspires Us To Make A Difference

Fraction Design Studio founder Celine Ng shares how being sustainable can be fun rather than a target. 

Written by: Azzam Bin Abdul Rahman, Reiko Tan , Cassandra Choo

As founder of Fraction Creation Studio, Ms Ng Mei Ling, Celine, is committed to reusing cardboard materials for her trade shows as many times as possible. Instead of paint, she skins her cardboards to be able to reuse them for future events. (Photo: Cassandra Choo)

“It has to really strike you inside,” said Ms Ng Mei Ling. “Before you decide to make a change.”

How Celine found her calling

Better known as Celine, the founder of Fractions Design Studio had sustainability instilled in her naturally, but her awakening came during her final year project. 

As a student at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), Celine honed her design skills and creativity. It was during her final year project as a student in which she came across an epiphany. Unknown to what sustainability was at that time, she realised how much material wastage such as sawdust was being generated in her workshop during her time spent tirelessly on her creations. She then made use of the sawdust waste and created a chair together with plastic, one of the starts of her sustainability projects. 

The 33-year-old said: “I think I’m already quite into the idea of it without understanding that this is a broader term called sustainability.”

Waste & Recycling in Singapore

According to the National Environmental Agency (NEA): “The overall recycling rate decreased from 57 per cent in 2022 to 52 per cent in 2023 largely due to the amount of Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste, which is almost completely recycled, dropping significantly last year. Excluding C&D waste, the overall recycling rate in 2023 was 45 per cent, which is comparable to 2022’s rate at 46 per cent.”

Additionally, the NEA also states that: “Such waste is a key industrial waste stream that is generated in large amounts. Hence, sharp Year-on-Year swings in the amount of such waste would result in huge fluctuations to the non-domestic and overall recycling rates. Excluding such waste, the overall recycling rate declined from 51 per cent to 45 per cent over the last decade.”

Such findings convey the notion that overall, Singaporeans have exercised less recycling or reusing practices over the past few years. 

Fraction Design Studio

At Celine’s design studio’s office in Jalan Besar, the use of sustainable materials can be found everywhere. Storage spaces in her office are neatly packed to the brim with reused materials from her many projects. The cardboard material Fraction uses are designed in such a way that prioritises practical efficiency together with an aesthetic look. Assembly and teardown takes minimal effort and due to the “lego-inspired fit design”, storage is not an issue as well.

In Celine’s design studio, she has a two-level storage room just for storing used cardboards in plans to be reused for future projects. With some cardboards still having information from previous works, it shows her commitment to not being wasteful. (Photo: Cassandra Choo)

With the different innovative creations from Fraction Design Studio using sustainable materials like cardboards, they showcase their unique designs as decorations for their studio instead of purchasing decorations made from wasteful materials. (Photo: Cassandra Choo)

From a piece of cardboard refurbished into a unit with hooks, to a stool made out of purely cardboard, and even a storage unit packed with sustainable materials for future use, it is obvious that it is a place for like-minded individuals like her. 

Fraction Design Studio not only crafts unique designs for trade shows but also creates practical and durable tools using sustainable materials. The stool in the photo is purely made out of cardboard, but is sturdy enough like an actual chair made out of plastic. (Photo: Reiko Tan)

However, she did not use a sustainability business model from the start. At the beginning, she organised trade shows with materials like metal that are thrown away wholesale after the end of a trade show. It became apparent to her that due to the unique designs produced, display pieces often get disposed of after the show ends, building up more unused waste.

According to the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE), a total of 1,064,000 tonnes of paper/cardboard waste and a total of 1,001,000 tonnes of plastic waste were generated in Singapore in 2023. With a majority of trade shows exhibition booths being made out of cardboard and PET plastics, they contributed significantly to the waste generated in Singapore. 

She expressed: “So after a while of doing this, you just don’t feel good about it.”

From then, she employs a circular economy of showcase-transport-store-transport-showcase, where the inspired-by-lego cardboard materials that she uses for one trade show can be torn down and curated for another. Unlike the linear economy of design-produce-showcase-dispose, Fraction Design Studio’s business model prides itself in the reuse of materials, reducing costs and waste through their practices.

When the cardboard material reaches the end of lifespan or when rain causes the cardboard to be soaked, she is committed to salvaging what she can and cut out parts that are still usable to prototype new products. 

She also sources for materials vernacularly from neighbouring countries, if not Singapore, so as to reduce the carbon footprint. Celine ensures the materials sourced satisfy the criteria of being Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified. The FCS Certification ensures the materials, be it paper and packaging or otherwise, are sourced from forests which abide by sustainability practices according to the FCS. 

As reported by the FSC: “Every FSC label is backed by a diverse ecosystem of forest managers, businesses, nonprofit organisations, and others committed to upholding a common set of responsible forestry standards that support:

1. Zero Deforestation 

2. Safeguarding Of Ancient And Endangered Forests 

3. Fair Wage And Work Environment 

4. Biodiversity Preservation 

5. Community Rights, Including The Rights Of Indigenous Peoples”

By maintaining such a business model, Fraction Design Studios ensures that they contribute towards a better and sustainable future for the environment and the Earth.

Celine’s own sustainable efforts

As inconvenient as it gets for a business owner, Celine does not drive and takes the public transport as much as she can to reduce carbon emissions. Her sustainability practices extend to fashion, shopping at places like Refash, where clothing is not brand new but still wearable. Her lunch consists of food packed in a reused tupperware and she opts to bring her own personal tumbler to minimise the use of buying water bottles every time she goes outside.

She expressed: “If you want to purchase something, it should last you for a few years.”  Not to mention, her shoes are also sustainable.

It is about understanding the bigger picture of what we are trying to protect because it is about the environment that we are living in. Coming off in slight disbelief: “Can you just imagine if Singapore were five degrees hotter?”

“I try not to be too much of a preacher,” when asked if she influences people around her to practise sustainability. Despite being a person in the sustainability industry, she does not have the personality to instruct or criticise people’s actions, as not everyone welcomes that way of being educated. Though if people are interested, she is more than willing to open up her world to them. She admitted though: “I also catch myself doing the wrong thing (accidentally using unnecessary plastic when taking away coffee for someone).”

How to adopt some practices yourself

Celine expressed: “I also don’t like paper straws as they get soggy…and it’s still single-use. I think the things we are fighting against here are single-use things. I wouldn’t mind buying a plastic straw if the straw is attached to my tumbler and I use it for 50 years. So there’s no wrong in that as it is built to last”. 

What we need to realise is that sustainability is more about using products that last, reusing them till they get completely worn out, rather than using “environmentally-friendly products” that end up being less long lasting than the stereotypical “wasteful products” such as plastic straws. A common misconception we tend to not realise is that buying an ethically and sustainably sourced product like a piece of furniture for example, will be less fruitful to the environment if you were to use it for much less than its designated product lifespan.

Celine pointed out that "you might be practising sustainability without even realising it," highlighting the idea that we are subconsciously engaging in sustainable behaviours. This could be from separating our trash in the recycling bin to choosing to omit plastic straws when purchasing a drink. Such acts ultimately contribute to a larger positive impact on our environment. However, we all know that it is a collective effort to ensure that sustainability efforts make an impact towards the betterment of Mother Earth. So what can we do?

One way is through raising awareness in a more comprehensive and engaging manner. Celine recommends a game called  “Climate Fresk”, in which users realise as they play that any one action committed will result in a “butterfly effect” that leads to everything else, showing that even the smallest of actions have their consequences. This teaches the young and impressionable to carefully consider their actions no matter what they engage in. This would be a better way to teach them rather than the usual classroom style lessons that the youth are getting nowadays. Interactive learning is what helps in encouraging the young as it allows them to gain exposure and comprehend complex scenarios.

Then comes the main point, adopting sustainable practices yourself, which is simpler than you think. With how we might already be incorporating them in our daily routine, we firstly have to be aware of sustainable behaviours. As mentioned by Celine, ensure the products you buy and use fulfil their product lifespan in their entirety, being careful to not create any unnecessary excess waste. Should you need to get rid of something, try taking into account if the item(s) could be useful with a second owner, or if they could be recycled. This maximises the use of products, avoiding falling into the trap of single-use practices which creates more waste and in the long run, harm to our environment.

Exposure from social media is one thing, but putting it into action is another. As sustainability efforts in Singapore continue to grow and with so many ways that we can practise sustainability, should we all consider extending a helping hand a little further to support our environment?